Moment speeding Met Police car misses mum, 25, by inches – seconds before his 80mph colleague hits & kills her in smash
THIS is the horrific moment a speeding Met police car missed a mother by inches – just seconds before its co-worker killed her.
PC Nadeem Patel, 28, was driving at more than 80mph before his patrol car struck 25-year-old Shante Daniel-Folkes on Stockwell Road in Brixton, south London on the evening of June 9, 2021.
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Ms Daniel-Folkes was thrown into the air, immediately passed out and died at the scene of the accident.
The nail technician, who had a two-year-old son, tragically could not be rescued and was pronounced dead at the scene in Brixton, south-west London.
Patel was sentenced to three years in prison in February after admitting responsibility for Shante’s death.
His verdict can only be announced now after the trial of fellow PC Gary Thompson, who was convicted of negligent driving after speeding in a second police car at 71mph.
CCTV shows Ms Daniel-Folkes was crossing the road near a pedestrian crossing at around 11.20pm when PC Thomson’s vehicle drove past her with the emergency lights and siren activated.
About three to four seconds later, Ms Daniel-Folkes continued across the road and was struck by PC Patel’s vehicle.
He had previously turned off his front emergency lights so as not to obstruct PC Thomson’s view in the lead vehicle, but had activated his siren.
Despite being exempt from the 30 mph limit, Pc Patel had reached a top speed of 83.9 mph on Stockwell Road just 115 yards from the car’s terminus.
The car was traveling about 55mph at the time of the collision after Pc Patel braked for two seconds from a speed in excess of 131mph.
The vehicle, driven by PC Thomson, also overtook Ms Daniel-Folkes at between 70 and 79 miles per hour.
“Bubbly and carefree”
In sentencing Patel in February, Judge Lucraft cited “touching” testimonies from her family, which she described as “kind, funny, loving and very creative.”
He said: “She is described as bubbly and carefree – a lover of life and someone who was ambitious. She loved fashion and design. She was a mentor, an artist, a certified nail technician and was looking forward to opening her own salon. She had a bright future for herself and her young son, who she adored. She was loved dearly by everyone who knew her.
“The family is devastated by the loss of Shante. They express a numb and empty feeling about Shante’s loss, and talk about the long-lasting impact on the family and particularly on Shante’s young son — a son she will not see grow up, going his own way in life.
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Rosemary Ainslie, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Following this avoidable tragedy, our thoughts are with the family and friends of Shante Daniel-Folkes.”
“Although both officers did not comply with the 30 mph speed limit when answering an 911 call, they were driving at freeway speeds in a built-up urban area with a number of potential hazards nearby.”
“This included pedestrians, cyclists and oncoming cars, but also an open supermarket right at the crime scene and a nearby pub where 30-40 customers were present for a quiz night.
“There was an apparent risk of injury to people from vehicles traveling at this speed in the dark and both officers fell short of the expected standard of a competent and careful driver that evening.”
“PC Patel admitted causing the death of Ms Daniel-Folkes by dangerous driving and I hope his judgment, along with PC Thomson’s judgment today, will bring some comfort to her family at this extremely difficult time.”
IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “This incident has had a devastating impact on the lives of the family and friends of Shante Daniel-Folkes and our condolences go out to them and all those affected.”
“PC Patel was speeding through busy south London streets at night and while he responded to an emergency call, that does not excuse his dangerous driving behavior which tragically resulted in the death of a young woman.”
“The convictions of these officers show that they have been held accountable.”
The IOPC said its investigation has revealed potential insights for Met police regarding the creation of a policy on speed caps for officers responding to incidents and whether such caps could improve safety.
It has consulted with police and now plans to make a formal learning recommendation for a speed limit policy.
Police Oversight also recommended that the Met review its current practices when officers ride in convoy or tandem while responding to incidents. The MPS accepted the recommendation and made changes to its policies and training, the IOPC said.
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